By Wendy Longley - Florida Catholic
Photographer: WENDY LONGLEY | FC
Members of St. Anthony's track and field teams pose with their coach and school principal before the end of the last school year. Back row: Colin Breslin, Trey West, Kevin Hirsch, Chad Stalder, Curt Casteel, Kieran Gilbert, Jackson Dixon, Porter Brown, Dominic Alorro, Cal Ziegler, Athina Zinn, Conor Cameron, Gabriel Gil. Middle row: Coach Gary McQuilkin, Will Vold, Anna St. Romain, Nicky Broderick, Conni McGillicuddy, Ryan Dolph, Julia Pullin, Sophia Savaglio, Theresa Staab, Katlynn Costello, Sabrina Screnci, EZ Pabustan, Savannah Longley, Aidan Breslin, and Principal Terry Maus. Front row: Sophia Zinn, Sophia Olivia, Maddie Young, Lexi Goyette, Sloan Berry, Nico Briglio, Carmela Sazera, Angelina Orlando and Gabriel Longley.
FORT LAUDERDALE | With only two classes per grade, St. Anthony School is small compared to some of its Broward brethren. But judging from their track record, its student athletes more than make up for their lack of numbers with determination and hard work.
This past school year, St. Anthony’s celebrated four undefeated boys’ teams in basketball, flag football, volleyball and baseball. The boys also won the County Track and Field Championship held at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. That’s when all Catholic schools in Broward County come together to compete against each other.
The school competes alongside 17 other Catholic schools annually, although only 14 took part in the most recent track and field championship.
St. Anthony’s athletes also broke three records in that competition: in the girls’ 1600-meter, boys’ 1600-meter and boys’ 200-meter.
But it’s not all about winning on the field.
Principal Terry Maus said she has always considered sports an integral part of the learning process. While sports challenge her students physically, academics challenge them mentally.
“We have to find that balance in life that encompasses who we are in mind, body and soul,” she said. “I often remind my students that you can’t play if you don’t practice. Academic advancement is the same. You need to practice your reading, math and thinking skills whenever you can if you want to do better in any subject area.”
“I try not to put pressure on the athletes,” said Gary McQuilkin, director of athletics and physical education at St. Anthony, who spent 10 years as athletics director and head of the Physical Education Department at Atlanta International School in Georgia.
“I always try to calm them down to ensure they are relaxed,” he said. “Kids at this level are already extremely nervous prior to an event so I constantly remind them to do their best and to be smart.”
McQuilkin said the manner in which his athletes are trained to pace themselves plays a huge role in their results in long distance races.
And while most of the track and field training is covered in the physical education class, the coach insists that all students in grades four through eight complete one unit, which he says is key to their — and the school’s — success.
“We have very good male and female athletes at St. Anthony,” the coach said. “The hard part about my job is to place the athletes in an event in which they can compete and do well.”
St. Anthony’s students compete in every running and field event that is offered at the track meets. They also put in some extra practice beforehand.
“The objective,” McQuilkin said, “is mainly to give the athletes who are competing in the field events some extra practice and for relay teams to practice the exchange of the baton. We have to take into consideration that most of our track athletes also participate in other sports during track season.”
At the annual athletic awards ceremony, the school recognizes every athlete with a medal representative of their sport. Additional medals are awarded for Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player and Best Sportsmanship.
“It is a fun event when many proud moments are captured by parents and coaches who get to re-live highlights of the season,” said McQuilkin.
“Teamwork and practice, the ability to handle victory and defeat, is to exercise good sportsmanship,” said Maus. “We don’t always win, so one must learn from a loss and identify that which can be done better.”
“I am grateful that our school has the opportunity to participate and grow in spirit, academics and healthy competition,” she added.
And the winners are:
Following are the St. Anthony students who set records at the all-Broward track and field competition, and the members of the 2014-2015 track teams. (Those in eighth grade will be entering ninth grade this fall, and so on):
- Aidan Breslin: second place, boys’ 1600-meter, 5:35.26
- Sophia Savaglio: second place, girls’ 1600-meter, 6:01.63
Girls’ track team members:
- Cal Ziegler: second place, boys’ 200 meter, 27.01
- Angelina Orlando and Carmela Sazera, grade 6
- Savannah Longley and Anna St. Romain, grade 7
Boys’ track team members:
- Julia Pullin, Sophia Savaglio, Theresa Staab, Athena Zinn, Katlynn Costello, grade 8
- Aidan Breslin, Kelby Bertolett, Conor Cameron, grade 7
- Kieran Gilbert, Colin Breslin, Carter Haagenson, Cal Ziegler, EZ Pabustan, Jackson Dixon, Kevin Hirsch, Porter Brown, Trey West, Dominic Alorro, grade 8.
